Rendering Assistance: What is your Obligation? Rendering assistance to a vessel in distress is requirement for all vessel operators. That obligation ends with the following. One, doing so would endanger their own vessel or passengers. Two, another vessel is already assisting the vessel in distress. Three, the persons on board the vessel in distress say that…
Boating Blog
Operation Dry Water
OPERATION DRY WATER The following article is a direct excerpt from the NASBLA Operation Dry Water Home page. Most people do not understand that boating under the influence is as bad as driving under the influence. As a result, there are many fatalities on the water. First, people need to understand the dangers. Second, people…
The Beaufort Scale
What is the Beaufort Scale? The Beaufort scale, officially known as the Beaufort Wind Force Scale, is a descriptive table. That is to say that it depicts the force of wind by a series of numbers from 0 to 12. The scale is named after Sir Francis Beaufort of the British Royal Navy who in…
Mayday Call
Making a Mayday call will likely be stressful. Your VHF radio may be your only lifeline. The VHF may feature Digital Selective Calling but we must complete the procedure with a verbal message. We’ll go on to discuss this further down in the article. Let’s look at the components of the mayday call so we understand what…
Filing a Float Plan
The following excerpt is from the United States Coast Guard. Why should you take the time to prepare a Float Plan? The answer is simple… there are just too many facts that need to be accurately remembered. All facts must be conveyed in an emergency situation. Without a float plan you are counting on someone…
Boating Under the Influence
BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE (BUI ) IS JUST AS DEADLY AS DRINKING AND DRIVING The following is a re-post from the US Coast Guard Every boater needs to understand the risks of boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs (BUI). It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or…
Winterizing a Boat
This article about winterizing a boat has been modified for our blog. We thank our friends at Discover Boating for their knowledge and enthusiasm. WHY WINTERIZE A BOAT Especially in Connecticut, you’ll want to winterize a boat before freezing temperatures set in. Deciding on an option for boat storage is only the first step in…
The Boating Pecking Order
Lots of people want to know how the Boating Pecking Order applies to everyday boating. It is a great question. Lets explore it. WHY IS THERE A PECKING ORDER So the Boating Pecking Order exists to make our waterways safer and to avoid any confusion regarding who has the right of way. We are not…
2020 Boating Accident Report Notables
FIRSTLY, What is this report? The 2020 Recreational Boating Statistics Report or often times referred to the “2020 Boating Accident Report” is a synopsis of all of the boating accidents, injuries and fatalities in any given year. The 62nd annual report for 2020 is 83 pages. This report helps to guide us on how to…